Career Journal: Beware of This Crippling Condition

Employees at their workstations at a Bangalore-based software firm, June, 20, 2003.

It all started a couple of months ago, when I thought there was something wrong with my wrist.

“Do you think it’s bulging?” I asked a friend, pointing at a wrist bone.

“No.”

“But it looks bigger than the other one, don’t you think?” I insisted, comparing the radius bone of my right wrist with the one on my left.

“It doesn’t,” he said, “you are being ridiculous.” That shut me up, for a while.

My friend was right: There was nothing abnormal in the way my wrist looked. The slight discomfort I felt in my wrist area was actually an early symptom of a form of repetitive strain injury, or RSI. This is a condition caused by frequent, unnatural movements like typing on a computer.

I discovered it was a form of RSI weeks later, when the discomfort turned into pain and I went to the doctor. By then, my hand was tingling, and my arm was hurting all the way up to my shoulder. For several days, typing was uncomfortable, and especially painful on my smart phone.

Anyone who has had RSI can recognize these symptoms. Those who haven’t, however, may be tempted to dismiss these as minor annoyances. That’s a mistake, as RSI does not just pass.

“This condition does not get better by itself,” says Deepak Sharan, a doctor based in Bangalore who specializes in RSI.

The longer you wait to do something about it, the longer it will take to recover.

For me, it got to the point that that even chopping vegetables was uncomfortable. People who have acute forms of RSI are sometimes forced to stay out of work for up to six months. In extreme cases, people are no longer able to drive, eat or dress by themselves.

“It’s a crippling disease,” says Dr. Sharan, who has worked with information and technology firms as a consultant. While there is no comprehensive data on RSI cases in India, based on the number of patients he’s seen, cases are increasing.

In India, few companies offer ergonomic support to their employees. Exceptions include information technology firms like WiproTata Consultancy Services and Infosys, who offer ergonomics consultation to their employees. IT workers are at high risk of developing RSI because they work on a computer all day.

Here are a few tips on how to prevent RSI:

Upgrade your workstation. Poor workstations are the main cause for muscular-skeletal disorders at the workplace.

If your company has an ergonomics consultant, ask for help or ask your human resources department for advice.

If possible, install adjustable keyboard trays. If your company won’t pay for it, it’s worth investing in this yourself.

The idea is that the keyboard should be just below elbow height and that you should avoid having to bend your wrist at awkward angles when you type. If you can’t move your keyboard because you don’t have a tray, you can adjust your seat instead, if necessary by adding supports like pillows.

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An adjustable keyboard.

Beware of the mouse. It turns out the mouse is more evil than the keyboard, so it’s best to limit its use.

Memorize simple commands on the keyboard, such as pressing “Ctrl+S” buttons to save a file, instead of using the mouse.

Whenever you use the mouse, your right forearm should be supported by an armrest. Ideally, the chair’s armrest should be low, close to your thighs, and the upper arm should be close to your body.

Another tip is to set your mouse tracking speed to a faster setting, so that you need to fiddle with it less to move the pointer on the screen. (You find this under computer settings, mouse, pointer options.)

Adjust your monitor. The computer monitor should be at eye level, without requiring neck or head movements to get a clear view of it. Since monitors are often lower than they should be, unless they are adjustable, you can stack books underneath them to fix this. Your shoulders should be relaxed.

Your back. Get an adjustable chair and keep your back straight, using the chair’s backrest for support. “Slouching on work stations,” is the most common mistake at work, says a spokeswoman at Google India.

Take breaks. Sitting at your desk for long hours is not just bad for your muscles, it can also cut your life expectancy.

It’s critical that you take periodic breaks away from the workstation. Aim to take a two-minute break from typing every half an hour. Make it a point to leave your workstation – walk to the water cooler, make a cup tea or just go for a stroll. You can get in the habit of standing up when you are making phone calls and walking up to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing them.

Dr. Sharan recommends taking micro-breaks as well: take your hands off the keyboard for five seconds every five minutes.

Do yoga. Several doctors I spoke to recommended stretching and strengthening exercises, and yoga in particular, as a way of preventing and addressing RSI symptoms. Simple exercises that help include: push ups, making circles with stretched arms, and flexing your hands up and down with your arms straight.

Act early. Don’t wait till your arm, hands or neck hurt. Young workers are as susceptible to RSI as their older colleagues. “The onset of RSI can begin with merely having an increased awareness of your hands without being to pinpoint exactly why,” wrote Emil Pascarelli and Deborah Quilter in one of earliest books on the subject, “Repetitive Strain Injury” (1994).

Looking back, that’s what happened to me when I started examining my wrists. The earlier you seek medical advice, the quicker aches and pains will disappear.

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